Remember the Games Workshop title Chainsaw Warrior that we featured a couple of years ago? Bristol based indie developers, Auroch Digital, which brought the game into the digital era with high acclaims are now set to deliver another GW title as a digital reboot; Dark Future, the cult Games Workshop board game of clashing highway warriors set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland that was once America.

Auroch’s Dark Future: Blood Red States is supported by the Wellcome Trust, and will be a turn-based strategy game, played out in simultaneous real-time action. The gameplay is a furious mix of hammering chain-guns, tactical high-speed manoeuvres and the ripping of metal as vehicles smash into one another. All the action is conducted against a dark background of the decline of humanity; too wild to be true and too close for comfort.

Dark Future was originally released as a board game in 1988, and later expanded into a series of books. The world it inhabits is a very different reality; cyberpunk more weird than wired. It’s an alternative, bleak, hollowed out America, in 2023. The major cities are either corporate controlled high-tech gated communities (Patrolled Zones, or PZs) for those who can pay, or lawless shanty towns for those who can’t (NoGos). Between these is ‘The Big Empty’, the polluted, wasted Red States of America where vicious gangs hunt and fight.

The atrophied state has all but given up trying to impose law and order here and instead relies on a new breed of bounty hunter come highway warrior to keep the roads open, the Sanctioned Operative. Into this fractured new world the player must make their fortune. The player runs a Sanctioned Ops agency; taking on missions for bounty outside the PZs. As well as the tactical action on the road, the player must also manage both the vehicles and drivers – from upgrades to the front-mounted HMGs to booking a driver into the clinic for a new set of bionic eyes.

I actually spent a good hour playing a silly new game called Nom Chops on the iPhone. The premise was really simple, players are in control of Nomster, a cute, blue, little, glutton-y monster, and just by holding down on the screen (with one finger), Nomster gets to eat plenty of food dropped by his pal Chops from the top of the screen.

The only issue for Nomster in his indulgent eat-fest is that Chops occasionally drops pepper bombs, and these will need to be avoided. Players can build a chain once Nomster binges on more than 10 items in one stretch, but this chain breaks if Nomster accidentally consumes one of those pepper bombs. Eat three of these pepper bombs and it’s basically game over.

What makes Nom Chops so addictive is that the simple premise (touch the screen to automatically eat, release to avoid eating the pepper bombs) makes one curious on just how many points can one accumulate. The game developers, PagodaWest Games, have Game Centre leaderboards and achievements hooked up to Nom Chops, so that players can see how well they fare against each other, enhancing the appeal of the game.

The colour pencil drawings-on-notepaper-like graphics featured on Nom Chops is a refreshing change to all the retro 2D pixel graphics that have become prevalent in App Store games these days. The combination of simple but addictive gameplay and nice graphics backed up with an original soundtrack from Tee Lopes nets Nom Chops a 4.5 out of 5.

If you are visiting Seoul during spring time, there’s one thing that you really need to do. Go for a run. More specifically go for run by the Cheonggyecheon stream. I had the good fortune of doing that several weeks ago during a company trip that included the Mount Seorak National Park and Seoul.

About the Cheonggyecheon stream, it was previously really polluted during the expansion of Seoul post Korean War, so much so the Koreans covered up with concrete in order for elevated highways to be built on top it. I read about it several years ago (on Slate) whereby in 2003, the mayor of Seoul (and future 10th president of South Korea) kickstarted the initiative to restore the stream, making it into the beautiful public space that was reopened in 2005. That stream has been in my bucket list for places to run at for the longest time, and I managed to tick that off just a few weeks ago.

My first attempt at running in Seoul ended pretty much in disaster. The typical technical shirt and short pants will not work unless one is acclimatised to the really chilly (read: biting) weather early in the morning. I only managed a round trip of about a few kilometres around my hotel, which was located near Dongdaemun.

The second attempt was the one where I got to run by the Cheonggyecheon stream. Suitability suited up in Nike ACG gear (this survived Kinabalu twice, and Gunung Irau, once) and a hooded sweatshirt from Uniqlo with a pair of Asics Excel-33s, it turned out to be a much more comfortable run. The directions to Cheonggyecheon were pretty simple, I ran past the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park and the Megabox Cineplex (did I tell you that I caught Age of Ultron on its worldwide premiere date…in Korea?!) towards the Ogansugyo Bridge that would typically lead anyone to the Dongdaemun Gate.

The Ogansugyo Bridge is basically over the Cheonggyecheon stream and I took the steps on the right to get down to the stream and began running in the direction towards the Han River. And here’s where the awesome part started. The entire stream is really picturesque and the Uniqlo sweater that I was wearing had enough space for my iPhone 6 Plus, and that meant plenty of picture taking and especially really nice panos.

There were some small rapids and nice wooden platforms jutting out to the stream, and at some places, flat rocks are placed instead of bridges for foot traffic to cross. The variety of wildlife is something to be seen to believe. Here, in middle of a bustling metropolis is a clear water stream that counts fish, egrets, ducks, and other types of birds as its residents.

From my starting point the paths on either side of the stream were for foot traffic, with no pets allowed. It was quite early and at times there was nobody..nobody…but me (not sure whether you, dear reader, got that KPOP reference). In any case it took a while for me to get to a point of the stream where foot traffic shared space with cyclists, and this I believe was near the elevated highway.

This part Cheonggyecheon had plenty of space and you can see open air gyms and other public facilities under the shadow of the elevated highway. I ran until I reached a public park with stone sculptures before turning around to run back to my hotel (it was essentially my last day at Seoul). The return trip back saw even more cyclists and foot traffic, with some runners thrown in the mix.

Although I ended my Seoul trip with a bang (it turned out to be a 13 kilometre run), the sad part is that the watch that I was wearing (the Garmin Fenix 2) decided to kinda die on me. I had to send it to an authorized service centre which in turn sent it back to Taiwan since they can’t get it fixed….battery problems apparently…. so sorry, no MapMyRun or Garmin Connect maps/stats this time. I leave you guys to enjoy the photos and do remember, if you are a runner in Seoul, you really got to try this out.

Bitbox Ltd’s cheekily titled Life is Feudal: Your Own, a medieval survival crafting game where players can create their own realms thanks to unlimited terraforming options, has surpassed 200,000 downloads while in Early Access on Steam. The team has released an infographic highlighting top stats to date and is hosting a Developers’ AMA on Reddit Thursday, May 14 at 12:00pm EST to answer questions from curious newcomers and seasoned players.

“It’s amazing to see how engaged our players have been from the very start of Early Access,” said Vladimir Piskunov, Project Leader and Lead Game Designer of Bitbox Ltd. “Life is Feudal is all about building your own medieval world and being as creative as you want to be, and our players have really risen to the challenge. This has made development incredibly rewarding and constantly drives us forward.” Check out the infographic below for more fun-facts about the game:

Set in a realistic medieval world, Life is Feudal features limitless terraforming possibilities and rich crafting options that let players create their own realm alone or with a team. Construct towns and cities for shelter, plant crops and breed livestock for food and clothing materials, explore the intricacies of alchemy, and much, much more as you navigate your own uniquely created realm. But beware: deep survival mechanics, no-target combat and the option to be raided by other players will keep you alert of possible threats. With hundreds of personal choices and customizations that offer endless combinations, players can craft a world limited solely by their imaginations.

Life is Feudal: Your Own is currently available on Steam in Early Access for $39.99 and is slated to release this fall. For more information, please visit Life is Feudal’sofficial website, YouTube channel or Steam page.

As you probably know, a fresh new earthquake hit Nepal, killing dozens after the first earthquake on April 25th killed more than 8,000. In light of the events in Nepal, Hi-Rez Studios, the developer of the free-to-play action MOBA game – SMITE – has kicked off a new campaign with its community to support the international humanitarian response of the American Red Cross to the recent devastating earthquakes in and around Nepal.

The Nepal Earthquake Relief Chest will be available now through May 17 for 400 Gems, SMITE’s in-game currency. Players who purchase the chest will randomly receive one of the following six God skins for use in SMITE: Lucky Baby Fuwa (Cupid), The Sydney Shredder (He Bo), Orbital Strike (Rama), Jaguar Footballer (Xbalanque), Ra’Merica (Ra), and Soldier of Fortune (Ares). For every chest sold, Hi-Rez Studios will donate $2 to the international relief efforts of the American Red Cross.

The SMITE community has played an active role in the past and has raised more than $200,000 for various American Red Cross efforts over the past year. Contributions to the American Red Cross International Services network advance its widespread humanitarian mission, including: direct aid for victims; cash transfer programs; information management, especially to help reunite separated families; coordination of supplies to the many affected areas; and preparedness training for future emergencies.

To participate in SMITE’s campaign for the American Red Cross International Services, please visit www.SmiteGame.com, and follow its progress on Facebook and Twitter.

To give directly to the American Red Cross to support humanitarian aid in Nepal and around the world, please visit www.redcross.org.

Last week saw the ending to the epic Scott Snyder Batman story-arc Endgame in Batman #40, and (Spoiler Alert) it looks like the Joker has finally bitten the dust, with Batman staying with him to the very end (and likely kicking the bucket as well since he was in a terrible shape in a crumbling subterranean cave).

How does this bode to both characters in future issues of Batman, I don’t know but I can tell you one more thing: Greg Capullo’s art is certainly amazing. There’s a certain nuance that he lends to the characters and in the final issue of End Game, he portrays the heroes’ (and villains’, since they teamed up to battle the Joker) last stand and desperate hope. Just check out the opening scene from the book:

To me Endgame lives up to its premise and it’s worth the trouble collecting the issues, or if you are not the individual issue collecting type, get the hardcover collection when it’s out in October (click here)

OK, on other Batman related news, I’m absolutely digging the new Suicide Squad cast shot, so much so it’s now the wallpaper on my screen. My only concern about the movie is that Margot Robbie doesn’t really look that crazy in her role as Harley Quinn, but hey, let’s wait until at least the trailer is out:

I didn’t really had time to check out some new games during my recent vacation to South Korea, but there are still notable stuff to highlight. First up would be Galaga: TEKKEN 20TH Anniversary Edition from the folks at BANDAI NAMCO. The new crossover game is available now from the App Store and Google Play™ as a free download for iOS and Android powered mobile devices.

This over-the-top crossover game celebrates the 20th anniversary of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment’s famed TEKKEN fighting game franchise by combining its characters with the gameplay of Galaga; one of the company’s most well-known classic arcade games. Check out the game over here for iOS, and here for Android devices.

Next up is Sneaky Box and BulkyPix’s latest multi-platform (iOS/Android), Wire Defuser, a fast-paced puzzle game in which players face ever more complicated bombs to defuse. Wire Defuser is all about interacting with buttons and switches while keeping an eye on the timers. There are more than 80 bombs, each with their own defusing process to follow. Up for the challenge? Check out the game over here for iOS, and here for Android devices.

Last but not least is a game belonging to a genre seldom reviewed on Nineoverten.com, horror. Slender Man Origins 3 (Abandoned School), the highly anticipated sequel and continuation of Slender Man Origins, features the scary, and legendary, faceless fictional internet character and persona. With large and detailed locations, immersive music and stunningly beautiful HD graphics, Slender Man Origins 3 (Abandoned School) is a worthy successor to an award-winning prequel. Check it out over here for iOS, and here for Android devices.

Indie developer’s Alex Ogorek‘s latest iOS 2D-puzzler, Cubic!, may look simple, but in actual fact, the game is devilishly difficult and is meant to appeal to hardcore puzzle fans. Set on a 9X9 grid board, players slide cube-shaped units (each with a numerical value which adds up the more they are moving along) along the board while being mindful to defend the centre of the board from the AI-controlled, enemy units.

Friendly units can be merged, therefore adding up both unit’s numerical value, and this is especially important when attacking enemy units as you’ll want to have a higher value before doing so. If an attack is successful, then the surviving unit’s numerical value is the result of the subtraction between the two unit’s values.

The game is simple in the aspect of gameplay, and the very clean and crisp graphics and user interface are unobstructive when it comes to players making their moves on the board. The soundtrack is a decent tune playing over and over again, not something that you’ll find out of place in a puzzle game.

If you are in for a challenge, then Cubic! has a lot in spades. No two games are the same, thanks to the random locations in which the enemy units appear on the edge of the board. I even have trouble beating my own high score set in my earlier play sessions on Cubic. Speaking of high scores, the game is hooked up to Game Centre, along with some social media sharing options available.

For the challenge it provides and the infinite amount of re-playability, Cubic! gets a deserving 5 out of 5 from Nineoverten.com. The game is available on the iTunes App Store for iOS devices for just 99 cents. There are no ads nor any in-app purchases in this game; those are major plus points in my book. Check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cubic!/id963272905

A review code was provided to Nineoverten.com for the purpose of this review.

For fans of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, it’s time to update the game as Sierra has released Geometry Wars™ 3: Dimensions Evolved, a free title update which nearly doubles the content in the title originally created by Lucid Games….and oh yes, there’s a Hardcore mode! Check out the screenshots below:

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved ignites the single-player Adventure mode of the original game with 40 additional levels, featuring new boss battles, 3D grid shapes and objectives, as well as a new drone (the Sweeper) and super ability (the Detonator). Adventure mode’s progression requirements have also been rebalanced to make it significantly easier for players to unlock and advance through the full experience.

In addition, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved introduces a “Hardcore” mode featuring 20 dedicated levels with individual leaderboards for die-hard, no-loadout Geometry Wars™ purists to tackle without a drone or super. The game now offers over 100 stages of rapid-fire action across several game modes, including an expanded Classic mode, Bonus challenges, local co-op for up to four players and online competitive multiplayer for up to eight.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved is available in North America as a free download for current owners and $14.99 for new users on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems through the PlayStation®Network; Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft via the Xbox Games Store; and Windows PC, Mac and Linux via Steam.

Here’s to a new week, we’ve got some interesting games for you to check out over on your iOS, Android and Windows devices. First up, it’s the free-to-play Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions, which happens to be the first mobile action-platformer set in the Star Wars Rebels universe that lets fans play as some of their favourite heroes in this extension of the hit TV show. Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions was created in partnership with Gigataur, an independent mobile developer.

In this side-scrolling adventure, players battle as Ezra Bridger to thwart the actions of the Empire and save the citizens of Lothal from Imperial control. Fans can traverse across 35 levels while wielding a blaster, commanding an AT-MP, swinging a Lightsaber and more to battle Stormtroopers, Droids, TIE fighters, and other Imperial Forces. Check out the game over here: iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Windows.

Next we have the highly anticipated FINAL FANTASY: Record Keeper. The first mobile game where players are able to experience the complete FINAL FANTASY universe, FINAL FANTASY: Record Keeper lets fans relive favorite moments across all past FINAL FANTASY installments and build a team of classic characters.

FINAL FANTASY: Record Keeper delivers the entire FINAL FANTASY universe directly into the hands of players and fans of the storied franchise. Players can recruit favorite FINAL FANTASY heroes, including Tidus, Lightning, and Cloud, to form the most dynamic team of all time. Characters can each be completely customized and equipped to the fullest with iconic gear, powerful spells, summons, and hundreds of weapons to choose from.

Gameplay in FINAL FANTASY: Record Keeper is as strategic and challenging as ever with the classic FINAL FANTASY Active Time Battle (ATB) system in place. Players battle their way through the most epic FINAL FANTASY moments, woven together for the first time on mobile with an all-new tale. Featuring skill-based interactive gameplay, players plan attacks, carefully choose tactics, and engage enemies in active time battles.

Check out the game, which is also free-to-play, over here: iOS, Android.